(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an eraser, more particularly to an eraser which is capable of efficiently erasing marks made with plastic crayons, and which is extremely safe.
(2) Prior Art
Natural rubber erasers and plastic erasers are conventionally known. The former type has natural rubber as a matrix, and factice and a filler mixed with it. Then it is finished by being semi-vulcanized in sulfur. The latter type has an emulsion polymerized type of vinyl chloride resin as a matrix, and a filler or the like is mixed with it so as to be kneaded with an excess of a plasticizer. Then it is steam heated or the like so as to half-set the resin.
However, when preparing a natural rubber eraser, it is necessary to include a vulcanization step, which complicates the overall process. Furthermore, there is a disadvantage as it is impossible to reuse the waste generated while cutting the semivulcanized material. A plastic eraser has a problem concerning safety if a child for example should put it in his mouth since it contains a plasticizer. Various novel plastic erasers have been proposed. For example, there have been proposed one in which factice and process oil are added to a thermal plastic elastomer (Japanese Patent Publication No. 23450/1971), and on in which an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and/or an atactic polypropylene resin, or a styrene-butadiene copolymer is used, to which a plasticizer is added (Japanese Patent Publication No. 32680/1982). However, all have insufficient characteristics as erasers. Moreover, these conventional erasers cannot erase marks made with plastic crayons which have been developed recently.